To Rule Them All
by Itarilde Sma Ash
Summary: The story of Sauron’s slave master. Discovered by Sauron in the Second Age, a peasant girl is transformed into the most powerful woman in Middle Earth. She proves a formidable opponent to the Fellowship three thousand years later. A characterization f
1. Sauron's Slave Master

(A.N. This story is about Azra. I will diverge significantly from the canon, so you have been warned. I know the differences are there and it's to further Azra's character, not the plot. I ask you to take it as more of a characterization fic than a fic about LotR. Thank you.) 

I was not born evil. But then again, no one is born truly evil. I was born in the year 3416 of the Second Age in a village on the edges of Mordor. Mordor was not then what it is now. It was a wasteland where not even the bravest men would venture. The mountains were high and there was little water. We had all that we needed at the foot of the mountains and it was a good life.

I have long since forgotten my parents' names, but I was their first child. They named me Azra after the mighty goddess of war. It was an ironic name for I was far from warlike. After eight years, Katu and Angath had been born. Life settled into a gentle routine. Then came my eighteenth year.

"Katu, help your sister with that washing. She cannot carry it all by herself," my mother said. Fourteen year old Katu grudgingly got up and helped me with the load I was carrying.

"Next time it is Angath's turn," she mumbled as we walked out to the pond.

"You complain too much," I said.

"Don't you ever want to go out with father and hunt? Or climb trees? Washing is so dull," she said.

"Why would you want to do any of that? Climbing trees does nothing to keep a house in order," I said. Katu sighed.

"Don't you ever want any adventure?" she asked.

"Adventure means something bad is happening," I told her, dumping the clothes into the pond.

"You accept too much, Azra," she said.

"Your time will come," I said. We settled into silence as we did the washing. I marveled at my sister's interest in conquering the world. I had never had any interest in leaving the village. Hunting was for the men and climbing trees was for little boys. What I did not see then in Katu was her spirit. A spirit that made her beautiful. All I saw then was childish silliness.

We fished the clothes out of the pond and carried them back to the cottage. Katu immediately went back in, leaving me to hang the wet clothes on the line. As I was working, I looked up into Mordor. I saw something strange. Smoke was rising from behind the mountains. For as long as I could remember, nothing even moved in Mordor. I shrugged it off. It had been a dry summer. Perhaps some trees had caught fire. I finished my work and went inside, not giving it a second thought.

"Did you finish all the washing?" Mother asked.

"Yes and it is hanging just as you asked," I said.

"Katu, help me with supper. Azra, go find Angath. I have not seen her all day," Mother said.

"Yes," I said and went back outside. Angath had a gift for wandering off when no one was looking. She was perfectly silent sometimes, a rare trait for a twelve year old. I looked up at the mountains again as I went looking for my littlest sister. The smoke was still there. If anything, it had moved. I focused on it nearly the whole way to the stable. I tripped over a few roots on the way.

"There you are," I said. Angath was petting one of the horses.

"He was lonely," she said.

"I'm sure. Tell him you'll be back after supper. Mother is looking for you," I said, shooing her out.

"Why is there smoke?" she asked when we got a clear view.

"I don't know. I think some trees caught fire," I said.

"Trees don't make that color smoke," she said.

"What color smoke do they make?" I asked, not really believing her.

"That is black smoke. Trees make white smoke," she said.

"I'm sure it is nothing," I told her. "Black or white it is not our concern." She didn't look convinced, but did not press the issue. Supper passed quietly as did the rest of the evening. It was just like every other night in our home. At least, that was how it seemed.

I woke just before dawn to screaming. It was a terrible sound. I nearly had to cover my ears. I got up out of bed and went looking for my sisters. Katu and Angath came running out of their room with their hands over their ears.

"What's happening?" Katu asked.

"I have no idea," I said. Mother and Father came out of their bedroom. We all headed for the door and looked out.

People were running everywhere. The other end of the village was burning. A sea of grotesque creatures were running people down and slaughtering them. I was rooted to my spot. War had come to our village. A war that would change my life forever.

"Take the children and run," Father said to Mother. She nodded and pulled the three of us out of the house. Father went to meet the beasts head on with the other men of the village. I did not see it, but I know he died quickly.

The beasts were faster than we had anticipated. They were upon us almost as soon as we got out the door. They caught Angath first. Mother grabbed her and one killed them both with one stroke. I screamed and Katu grabbed onto me.

"Come on," she said. We were almost to the end of the village when another caught Katu. I tried to wrestle her away from it, but it was no use. I closed my eyes as it killed her. I began running again and prayed to whatever god was listening to spare me. I tripped in a hole and went crashing to the ground. That was when I saw him.

He stood nearly nine feet tall with full battle armor. His helmet alone looked to be as long as my arm. He wielded a mighty mace and on his right hand was a ring. I closed my eyes and waited for the killing blow, but it did not come. Instead, he stood over me and stared at me.

"What is your name?" he asked in a resonant voice.

"A...a...zra," I stuttered. He held out his hand and I took it. He helped me up. I was terrified that at any second he would kill me.

"Go to the Black Gate. The orcs will not hurt you," he said. I had no idea where the Black Gate was and I was not about to ask. He seemed to be reading my thoughts.

"Dror! Gimbrakh! Take her to the Gate," he said. Two of the beasts came over and took me by my arms. They were even more horrifying up close. I wished he hadn't ordered them to take me.

"As you wish, Master," one said. They led me out of the village and toward Mordor. As I looked up, I could see the smoke was gone. Soon I would see what other things lay in the land of Mordor and begin my journey.

Mordor smelled of sulfur and ash. At first it was nearly overpowering. I had to suppress several gags. Dror, the smaller one on my left, heard me.

"You'll get used to the smell," he said. I nodded and took a deep breath.

"Tell those lazy maggots on the Gate to let us in," he said to Gimbrakh. Gimbrakh took out his horn and let out a low trumpet. We waited a few seconds and the gigantic gate lurched open. It took hardly anything for the three of us to get in comfortably.

"What'd you bring her in for?" an orc on the other side said when he saw me.

"Lord Sauron told us to bring her 'ere and we 'ave. Jus' followin' orders," Gimbrakh said.

"Take her up then," he said. That's when I saw it. Barad-dur stood about a mile away. It was the most imposing thing I'd ever seen in my life and it would be my home for the next three millennia. 


	2. War and Armies

I sat in the throne room of Barad-dur for what seemed like hours. Periodically orcs walked through, but never spoke to me. I supposed they never saw a human before. Either that or they knew something I didn't. I was fully expecting to be executed when Lord Sauron, as I had heard him referred to, returned. It was nearly midday before he returned.

He was still in the armor, but had no weapon. I stood up, not knowing what else to do.

"Sit down, Azra," he said. I did as I was told.

"Are you going to kill me?" I asked.

"Kill you? No. I have a better use for you," he said, sitting in his throne. I was confused.

"A better use?" 

"Do you not know that you are beautiful?" he said.

"Beautiful?" I repeated. 

"Look here," he said, holding out a round stone. I looked into it. Looking back at me was a girl with long black hair and watery green eyes. I smiled and so did she. I was looking at myself clearly for the very first time.

"I want to make you the master of my slaves," he said.

"You have slaves?" By this point I was surprised he hadn't killed me. I sounded like an idiot even to myself.

"My orcs are my slaves. They were once elves. I captured them and made them into what you see today. Now, I want to pass on that duty to you," he said.

"I have no idea how to capture elves. I don't even know where to look. I cannot use a sword or bow," I said.

"I will teach you and you will be their master," he said. "Or you will die. That is the choice I give you."

"Then I will do it," I said. Anything was preferable to death even if it meant catching and torturing some of the most beautiful creatures in Middle Earth. It was my life or theirs.

"I will teach you the ways of the sword and give you this," he held out his hand. In his palm was a ring. It had a large white stone in the center and silver ropes encircling the top of the ring. I took it.

"It will be known as Azra Naz and you will never take it off," he said. I nodded. It was the twenty first ring of power and second only to the power of the One Ring.

"Thank you, my lord," I said softly.

"Tomorrow I will teach you to use a sword. For now you rest," he said. He pointed to a spiral staircase. I walked up it and into a room. It was remarkably comfortable looking for the tower. From the window I could see most of Mordor. Mount Doom bubbled and spat fire occasionally directly across from me. Taking one last look out, I crawled into the bed and went to sleep.

One thing about Mordor, the sun never rises. It is always covered by cloud and ash. It is like living in a constant rainstorm only without the rain. A dark place for a dark lord. The only reason I woke up was a loud banging on my door sometime the next day.

"Lord Sauron wishes to see you," Dror said when I opened the door.

"I will be there in a minute," I said.

"And he sends this. It is for practicing," the orc handed me a mass of cloth. It was red robes in the softest fabric I'd ever felt.

"Thank you," I said. He gave a nod and lurched back down the stairs. I changed and walked to the throne room. Sauron was waiting for me. He still stood at his full height, but he looked like a man. Behind him stood nine black hooded figures.

"Who are they?" I asked.

"These are the Naz-gul. They are my most loyal servants. They will teach you to fight," he said. "Take this." He held out a sword. When I grabbed it, it nearly pulled me over. I had to use both hands just to lift it.

"Soon it will be lighter," he said. "You will see." I had no choice but to trust him. If I didn't, I knew I would be dead. He turned to the Wraith closest to him.

"Show her the old ways," he said. I tried not to show my fear. I had a feeling the old ways were going to be painful.

"Yes, my lord," he replied. Sauron left, leaving me staring at the nine.

"Strike me," the Witch King said. I swung the sword and contacted his blade. He quickly knocked it out of my hands.

"Pick it up," he said. I did as I was told. It went on like that for hours. I would strike and he would knock my sword down. Eventually, I learned to move with him when he tried to disarm me. It progressed like that for days. They would teach me one thing by repetition and move on to something else. They would take turns testing me on what I had learned. True to his word, my sword got lighter the more I fought. I began to enjoy the daily training sessions. Three weeks after my initial lesson, I disarmed one of the lesser Naz-gul.

"Good, very good," the Witch King said. "You are learning."

"Thank you," I said.

"Soon you will be ready," he said.

"Ready for what?" I asked.

"Ready to begin your task. Lord Sauron is building an army, but he needs more. He needs you to bring him more," he said.

"What sort of an army is he building?"

"An army to conquer the world of men and elves. An army of ten thousand must be ready to fight in two weeks time," he said.

"And I am in charge of readying that army?" I said slowly.

"Yes," he said. "You are the master of the slaves. You will create the army of Mordor." It was a daunting prospect. I knew nothing of war. I had barely learned to use a sword. Now it was my job to build the largest army in the history of Middle Earth. But I looked upon it as my duty. Sauron had spared my life. I would give him his army.

"Where will I go to find more?" I asked.

"That is up to Lord Sauron. He will send you when it is time," he said. I was eager to change the subject.

"One more?" I asked, drawing my sword. I could not see his face, but I suspect the Witch King was smiling.

The first time I went down into the dungeons of Barad-dur will be forever etched in my memory. It was where Sauron created his orcs, vile creatures that they were, but highly effective killing machines. Dror and Gimbrakh, the two that had brought me into Mordor, led the tour.

"We keep the ones we 'aven't quite finished yet over there," Gimbrakh pointed to a door on the far side of the dungeon.

"The new ones are over 'ere," he said. A line of orcs stood on the opposite side of the dungeon, awaiting inspection.

"And the fresh ones are in the tank in the back," Dror said.

"Lord Sauron left instructions for you to be in charge down here. They're only to take orders from you," Gimbrakh told me.

"Who was in charge?" I asked.

"Sauron himself did inspections, but he's left that to you," Dror said.

"But I don't know what to look for in an orc," I said.

"We're 'is finest," said Gimbrakh.

"So I am to look for ones like you?"

"Orcs are fierce, ruthless, and no good in the daytime," Dror said.

"You can't stand light?" I asked.

"'Urts our eyes somethin' terrible. We can't see anythin' in sunlight," Gimbrakh explained. "Go on, 'ave a look at the new ones." I looked at the line of about twenty of them. I took a deep breath and approached the first one. He looked like Dror with pointy ears and bluish skin. 

"Open your mouth," I said. He complied and I got a good look at a set of razor sharp teeth. I grabbed his chin and looked at either side of his face. His skin was slimy in my hand. He didn't react as I gave him a looking over. Sauron must have made himself abundantly clear that I was to be obeyed.

"This one is acceptable," I said. Dror nodded to Gimbrakh and sent the orc over to be fitted for armor. They followed me the entire way down the line as I inspected each of them. No two of them looked the same, contrary to my original assumption. Dror would later explain that different kinds of elves produced different orcs. Of course, no orc could recall what kind of elf he began life as. One of the first stages in creating an orc was to erase his memory. When I was done inspecting the finished ones, Gimbrakh and Dror took me to see the newest ones they caught. I opened the door and walked in.

"She's brave. I wouldn't touch the things if I didn't 'ave to," Gimbrakh said to Dror. Dror hushed him.

There were about a dozen elves sitting in the small room. They looked up at me, surprised to see a human. However, they made no move to speak or otherwise signal me. They were all beautiful still, even though they had not been fed for days. It was like looking at a dying butterfly. Even though it is in it's last stage of life, something about it still draws the eye to marvel at it. I stood there among them regretting my decision to live. Had Sauron been there at that moment, I would have told him the bargain was off. I shook myself out of the daze and walked back out.

"When do we start them?" I asked.

"As soon as you give the word," Dror said.

"How many more warriors do we need?"

"About sixty. We're still ten short," he said. "But take a look at the ones we're working on. They should be done by tomorrow."

"Very well," I said. I was not prepared for what I was about to see. If one could look upon an orc and call it ugly, one could look upon a half orc and call it hideous. Dror and Gimbrakh came in with me as I looked at the ones who were lost somewhere between elf and orc.

The room was dark to shield their changing eyes. One was crawling on the floor in front of me like a wounded animal. It looked up at me, a disgusting half breed. His skin was gray and almost transparent. He looked at me with black eyes. His hair, once blond, was missing in most places. Only a few lone clumps remained. Suddenly, he came flying at me, teeth bared. I kicked him and he went flying across the room.

"Learn some respect," I snapped. "I am your master now." He whimpered and retreated back into the corner. Self preservation would always win out.

"That one is looking promising," Dror said.

"He's got the fierce part," I said. We left the room and I looked around the dungeon once more.

"Lord Sauron will be pleased," he said.

"Pleased? With his army?"

"With the master," he said. Master. I was starting to like the way that sounded.


	3. Lost But Not Forgotten

"Only two more and then we've got all we need," Dror said. Dror, Gimbrakh and I had spent the last three days catching elves to meet Sauron's final total. We were riding out to the edges of Mirkwood to catch the last two. According to Dror, the Mirkwood elves produced the meanest orcs. The one who had tried to attack me had once been a Mirkwood elf. I got off my horse and looked into the forest.

"I'll be back. You know what to do," I said. They nodded. I disappeared into the dense forest, hoping I would not have to wait long for some to pass by. Fortunately, I got my wish. A pair of elves passed close to the bush where I was hiding. I burst out, looking confused.

"I'm sorry. I'm terribly lost. My horse threw me about a mile from here," I said. "Can you show me the road back to Isengard?" They looked at each other and, deciding I was harmless, agreed to help. They led me back out the path I used to come in. I stepped out a few seconds before them and Dror and Gimbrakh jumped on them with the nets. 

"Beautiful creatures," I said. "But not terribly bright."

"Why do you think Sauron chose them instead of dwarves," Dror asked. The two elves looked betrayed, but said nothing.

"Don't worry. When we're done with you, you won't remember a thing," I said. As I was about to get back on my horse, I caught a glimpse of an elf standing in the forest. He was staring at me.

"Should we take him, too?" Gimbrakh asked, following my gaze.

"No, Sauron only wanted two more and that is what we will give him. Leave that one," I said. At the time, I did not register the fact he looked different than the two we'd just caught. Then again, I was focused on the task at hand. I mounted my horse and we rode back to Mordor.

Sauron was waiting in his throne room when we returned. I bowed and removed my cloak.

"We have the final number you requested. They should be ready for battle in six days," I said.

"Excellent. The army of men and elves is bearing down on us. We must be ready to fight," he said.

"Where would you have me stay, my lord?" I asked.

"You will stay in the tower. I will leave it to you to send out the armies," he said.

"As you wish," I replied. "Dror! Gimbrakh! Get to the dungeons and see that they are working. We need a battle ready army in six days."

"Yes, my lady," they replied and went down into the dungeons. I went up to my room for some peace before the storm.

The next five days were spent oiling the war machine. The dungeons of Barad-dur produced more orcs, armor, and weapons than ever before. I would be down there three times a day to look over the preparations. Every day news came in that the Last Alliance was moving closer. We had to be ready for when they came beating at the gate.

I was inspecting the last of the newly forged swords when Sauron came down to the dungeon.

"Our enemy is almost upon us! Ready yourselves and make for the gate!" he bellowed. We were thrown into a frenzy. Every last sword, spear, and helmet was handed out as Sauron led the first wave out into the fields. Even deep in the dungeons, I could hear the war horns being blown. Battle was almost upon us. I left my two henchmen in charge of sending out the warriors and I went up to the tower to get a better look. I watched the sea of black make for the gates. Beyond it there were torches. No doubt the lights of our enemy. By nightfall they would be upon us. So began the agonizing wait before the blow. My army was to be put to the test. Over the next few hours, I chewed so much on the inside of my lip it bled.

"All the troops are out," Dror reported.

"Good," I said.

"We will emerge victorious. They cannot defeat Sauron and the One Ring," he said. I chewed some more.

"We shall see," 

The battle began with a great crash of metal upon metal. The sound was enough to deafen me even a mile away. I did not move from my spot at the window. Gimbrakh and Dror soon joined me. Sauron had ordered them to stay with me as they had become my two trusted advisors.

"The men are led by King Elendil and Prince Isildur of Gondor. They believe they have the power to defeat us," Dror said. "The elves have Elrond of Rivendell. "

"And what of him?" I asked.

"If anyone could defeat us, it would be him. He is a good leader, in spite of the fact Rivendell elves make weak orcs," he said.

"Perhaps then they were meant to remain elves," I said.

"Per'aps," Gimbrakh said. We watched the battle for hours go back and forth. Finally, something happened.

"Sauron has killed the king," I said. "And he's headed for the prince." We watched as Isildur reached for a sword, but Sauron stepped on it. Just as Sauron was about to strike, Isildur sliced the Ring off Sauron's hand. A huge blast of air shot through Mordor. It nearly knocked me over.

"The Ring, he cut it off," I said. We looked at each other and back out onto the battlefield. Elrond and Isildur were climbing up Mount Doom.

"They mean to destroy it," Dror said.

"That would finish Lord Sauron off," Gimbrakh said.

"He's not dead?" I said.

"Not until they destroy the Ring in the mountain," Dror said.

"The Ring has a great power over the weak minds and lustful hearts of men. Isildur will not destroy it," I said. I had no idea how I knew it, but I knew he could not throw it in. I was right. No great final blast came. The Ring was still intact. I ran down the stairs and through the throne room. The palantir was glowing, something it never did.

"Azra," it said. I jumped.

"Azra...find me the Ring," it was Sauron, his essence trapped in the palantir. I nodded and kept running. The Witch King was outside the doors to the tower.

"Get the others and get the Ring back. Kill the prince," I said. He made no noise of assent or any indication that he heard me, he simply headed in the direction of Minas Morgul. They were going to get it back.

Dror and Gimbrakh were talking Sauron in the palantir.

"I've sent the nine out to get the Ring. It will be returned to you soon," I said. Sauron did not look like a man anymore. Inside the palantir was a great eye of flame.

"Good, my beauty," he said. "Very good."

"What if the nine can't find the prince?" Gimbrakh asked.

"They will find it. He cannot resist its power. He will soon put it on and they will find him. Send the rest of the armies out to search the lands. He could not be far," I said.

"We have broken them, Azra. The world of men is broken," Sauron said.

"Yes," I said. "We have."

But the nine could not find the Ring. They rode for days, following every hint of its power. Messengers were sent every few days to report. I would send them back and tell them to look harder. The Ring had all but disappeared.

"Prince Isildur is dead," one of the messengers said. I was half asleep in the throne. The words made me pick up my head.

"And the Ring?"

"The Ring is still missing. They searched all the members of the prince's party and the river where he fell. It is nowhere to be found. Unless someone puts it on, it is lost," he said. I groaned and let my head hit the back of the throne.

"Until it is found, there is nothing we can do," I said. "Call them back." He bowed out of the room to give the Naz-gul the news.

"Now what do we do?" Dror asked.

"We wait for someone to find it," I said.

That wait turned out to last for two thousand years. The world around us changed slowly. The outside world had forgotten the great battle long ago. Empires were created and destroyed. In all that time, I did not age a day. The gift of my ring had rendered me immortal. The orcs, however, were not. Dror and Gimbrakh died and I was saddened when they did. I was almost amazed at the pain I felt. I was mourning the loss of beings I once hated and feared. They left in their places two more capable servants and more after them. And so the cycle of life and death continued until one day in the Third Age.

The scream of the Naz-gul alerted me to it. I jumped up out of my seat and ran to the balcony overlooking the fields. They had come out of Minas Morgul and were galloping up to the entrance. Then I felt it. First it was a warm sensation in my hands that spread into my arms and shoulders. The Ring had returned. Someone had put it on.

"Find the Ring! Restore the power to Mordor!" I yelled down to them. They hardly needed encouragement. They were already well on their way to finding it once more.

"Soon it will return to us and we shall rule once again," I told Sauron.

"Yes," he said. "Soon."


	4. Gollum

(A.N. Thank you so much for the great reviews. I apologize for the severe diversion from the text, but that's just my style.)

One would think finding the One Ring was not that difficult. The Naz-gul were good at what they did. Why else would Sauron have kept them around for as long as he did? But for whatever reason, the Ring remained hidden. Some suggested the Ring did not want to be found. I was thinking more along the lines of the nine refusing to ask for directions. Either way, another five hundred years passed without the Ring. Five hundred fifty years may seem like a lot, but when one has lived for over two thousand, it was little more than an inconvenient wait.

Finally, after two and a half millennia, we got our hands on the creature who had kept the Ring for those crucial five hundred years. Sharuk and Lughak, my two latest orc henchmen, brought the creature Gollum to me. He was a pathetic sight. Bald, skinny, and malformed, he elicited almost the same reaction as the first time I saw an orc. They threw him down at my feet and leaned over to look in his eyes.

"You have something that does not belong to you," I said.

"No. They stoles it from us!" he insisted.

"Who stole it from you?" I asked. In reply, he unleashed this terrible wail.

"She asked you a question," Lughak jabbed him with his foot.

"The pwecious...the pwecious has left us," he wailed. I was quickly losing patience with this cryptic creature.

"Take him to the dungeons and see if you can't get anything out of him there," I said. "I am in no mood for games." They picked him up again and dragged Gollum kicking and screaming down the stairs. At least it was a break. We'd gone so long without having any idea where the Ring was that this was at least something. If Gollum didn't have the Ring anymore, as he claimed, then maybe he knew who did.

Gollum proved to be a challenge for even our methods of persuasion. He was steadfastly refusing to say who the mysterious 'they' were that took the Ring. It was frustrating Lughak and Sharuk to no end.

"'e's a tough nut to crack, that one," Sharuk told me. "'e keeps refusing to say anythin'."

"And you've tried everything?" I said.

"We've even made up a few things," Lughak said. I got up off the throne.

"Let me try," I said.

"We took 'im to Minas Morgul. Thought the Witch King would 'ave better luck," said Sharuk.

"Have him brought back here and throw him in the dungeons. I want to have a round with him," I said.

"Absolutely," Lughak said. They ambled out to go retrieve Gollum. I doubt the Witch King had done any of the work himself. He usually pawned it off on one of the lesser Naz-gul or the orcs. He gave Sauron a run for his money when it came to ego. I would have minded it more if I hadn't had the luxury of secluding myself in Barad-dur. Fortunately for me, Sauron liked to keep me close and make sure I was properly carrying out his orders. After all that time he'd spent disembodied, most considered me the more capable of the two. Of course, Sauron wasn't stupid. He knew how the slaves felt about their master. That was the whole reason he'd chosen me. Beauty can inspire allegiance that brute force cannot. Then again, brute force is more likely to give you the answer you want to hear. It was time for me to prove I was more than just a pretty face.

"They're returning him as we speak," Lughak reported.

"Excellent," I said.

"What'd you have in mind for 'im?" Sharuk asked.

"A few of the old ways," I smiled. They looked at each other, clearly having no clue what I meant. "Go get the rack ready."

"Yes," they grinned. Nothing got those two motivated like the prospect of torture. I had bred them all that way. They were born to kill and show no mercy and I was quite proud of my work. I had no idea I was about to be usurped.

"Azra," Sauron shook me from my vile daydream.

"Yes, my lord," I said.

"I am ready," he said. 

"But we have not yet gotten the Ring," I said.

"I do not need it. The power has grown enough," he said.

"If the tower is ready then I shall take you up there," I said.

"Excellent," he said. "All is in place." I picked up the palantir and made my way to the top of Barad-dur. Sauron's power had been steadily growing since the Ring resurfaced. Now he was ready to return to a somewhat physical form. He would need the Ring to become fully regenerated, but this was close enough. Even I had no idea what he had in mind as I walked up to the top. Between the two prongs of the tower I put the palantir down. A blinding orange light shot out of it and up into the center. I covered my face until the light stopped. When I looked up, I was staring at a larger version of what had been in the palantir. A great eye wreathed in flame looked back at me. I was speechless for a few moments and then he spoke.

"Return the palantir to its place. Learn what you can from the creature," he said. I nodded and made my way back into the tower. I replaced the palantir on my way down to the dungeons. Lughak and Sharuk were waiting for me.

"Everything is ready, just like you asked," Lughak said.

"Then let us see if Gollum has changed his mind," I said. I picked up a hot poker and walked over to the rack. Three other orcs stood around him, waiting for me. He looked worse than when I saw him last, if that was possible.

"I believe you have something to tell me," I said. He shook his head. I jabbed him in the ribs.

"Speak quickly, give me two words, and I will release you," I said. The orcs looked among one another. They were wondering why I only asked for two words. I poked him again. He shrieked. In those shrieks, I got my two words.

"Shire! Baggins!"

"Let him go," I said, smiling to myself. Sharuk and Lughak followed me out of the dungeon.

"Get me the maps. I want the most recent ones," I said. "And send out the Naz-gul. We have work to do."

"Yes, Master," Lughak said, struggling to keep up with me.

"Sharuk, send a pair to follow Gollum. It may prove useful later," I said. Lughak spread out the maps in the study.

"The Shire is here," I pointed to a place in the upper left of the map. "But we are here."

"That's a long way," Lughak observed.

"The way the nine rides, I'd say eight days," I said.

"And what of the other word? Baggins?" he asked. I shrugged.

"I don't know what that means," I said. "Maybe it is a road or something."

"Or a name," Lughak said.

"That could work," I said. "The nine will know soon enough. Our job is finished."

"This time maybe they'll come back with it," he said.

"We should be so lucky," I said wryly. I rolled up the maps and put them back on the shelves. Lughak went back down to the dungeons. I decided to watch the Naz-gul ride out. As I walked outside, I noticed something odd toward the gate. In a land where everything is black, other colors stand out a great deal more. There was a gray spot moving on the left side of the gate. I walked closer and could see it was a horse. How a horse had gotten into Mordor was beyond me. Why it wasn't dead yet was also beyond me. Usually the gate orcs shot anything on sight. It came toward me when it saw me approach. We met somewhere in the middle. I reached out to touch it and heard my sister's voice.

"He was lonely," I had not heard Angath's voice for centuries. I had long ago assumed I would never recall it. But the moment I touched that horse, I could hear her as clearly as if she were standing next to me.

"Angath," I said. The horse's ears perked up.

"Is that your name?" I asked. She bumped my shoulder. I rubbed her ears and smiled. From that moment on, Angath would become my closest friend. I had to believe she had come to me for a reason. Nothing happened by chance and there are no such thing as accidents, especially in the land of the shadows. I could only guess my long dead sister who so loved horses had sent me a companion to carry me through the dangers that would come.

I found a spot for Angath near the tower. I went back inside only to hear the voice of my lord giving me another order.

"I need to you to ride to Isengard," he said.

"Isengard? What's there?" I asked.

"A wizard named Saruman. Go and see what kind of army he is building me," 


	5. Opening Move

My stomach twisted at his words. I felt like I was going to fall over. I had to grab on to the arm of the throne to keep my balance. It was my first experience with jealousy. It hit me like a mace to the gut.

"An army?" I managed to choke out.

"Orcs are not enough this time. Saruman is creating a new kind of warrior," he said. "And I want you to see if they are satisfactory." A million thoughts were racing through my head. Why hadn't he asked me to create a new race? I had proved myself a skillful slave master. It was at my bidding that the best orcs had been produced. Why had he gone behind my back and asked this Saruman to do my job? The lord I had dedicated my life to had betrayed me.

"Azra, I need you to go now," he said.

"Yes, my lord," I said and stormed out of the tower. I let out a few good retches on my way down. The noise was satisfying if nothing else. It sounded absolutely disgusting. I hoped Sauron heard me and was disgusted, too.

I untied Angath and spent half the ride to Isengard, a full two days, cursing him in every way I could think of. He had chosen me in the first place. I was the one he had handpicked to spend the last two thousand years breeding orcs, each generation more vicious than the last. I could not imagine anyone doing a better job than me, much less creating a whole new race worthy of what I had done. Saruman must have been quite a find indeed if he could come close to my work. Angath probably got terribly annoyed with my incessant shrieking on the journey. I would not have blamed her if she'd left me to walk the rest of the way.

Finally on the afternoon of the fourth day, we rode into Isengard. It was half defoliated. Tufts of smoke rose out of several holes in the ground. Orthanc looked a lot like Barad-dur except for the top. It had four prongs instead of two. For a moment, I thought I saw something on top of it, but brushed it off. It was anyone's guess what was in the air around here. I hopped off Angath. An old man dressed entirely in white stood at the top of the stairs. He had a long white beard to match the robes. He held in one hand a staff. So that was what made him so bloody special. He was a wizard. I could only surmise he was an important one if he had the fortress of Isengard at his disposal.

"Welcome to Isengard," he said. "Is it just Azra or do you have a title?"

"Just Azra," I said. "I was sent to inspect your new army."

"Of course," he said. I followed him up the stairs and through a cluttered study.

"I have been crossing orcs and goblin men with some surprising results. I have long experimented with combinations, but this one seems to be the most successful," he said.

"Where did you find the orcs?" I asked.

"Sauron sent them to me. Some of your best work, I would suppose," he said.

"I have no doubt," I said with a sickly, sweet smile. "Sauron is anxious to see what you've done."

"This way," he said. I followed him down into the hot bowels of Orthanc. There some orcs were pushing around this mass that looked something like horse droppings.

"Don't get too close," he warned. I did as I was told. One of the globs split open and I was amazed at what I saw. It was twice the size of an orc easily. It had a longer face than an orc and was proportioned more like an elf. However, it still bore the pointy ears of an orc.

"What do you call it?" I asked.

"An Uruk-hai," he said.

"Superior orc, very nice," I said.

"I took the best points of both species and combined them," he explained.

"Do you have one I could get a good look at?" I asked.

"This way," he said. I found myself following him back up to the main levels. In an empty room, like a caged animal, I saw one. It was cleaner than the one I had just seen, but overall it looked the same.

"It's identical," I said.

"I reproduced the correct formula over and over again. They all have the same basic features with few variations," Saruman said.

"I see," I said.

"This one is Lurtz, my first. He has the disposition of an orc, but he is stronger, faster, and can travel in sunlight," he said. I opened the door. Lurtz stood still as I walked around, surveying him. He was impressive. He stood taller than me and probably could break me in half if he wanted to. I felt no fear though. To me, he was just an overgrown orc.

"Do you know your master?" I asked.

"Saruman," he grunted.

"You've created something very interesting," I said. "I'm sure Lord Sauron will be most pleased."

"So you are satisfied with it?" he said.

"Whatever suits him suits me," I said, not wanting to let my temper get out of hand.

"How many years have you been with Sauron?" he asked.

"Over two thousand five hundred. I've been maintaining his armies for almost that long," I said.

"So you are familiar with the process of creating orcs," he said.

"I could do it with my eyes closed. Under my command, some of the finest orcs in memory have been created. Why do you ask?" Now he had me very curious.

"I was simply curious," he said.

"I cannot say I've ever had the pleasure of someone taking an interest in what I do," I said.

"We are now in the same situation. It is in my best interest to," he said. I sensed the slightest bit of condescendence in his voice. He seemed less than impressed with Sauron's choice of a master. I was less than impressed with him, as well.

"Sauron never approached you to create a new race?" he said, breaking the silence.

"No," I said. "He did not."

"As his long trusted slave master, I would think you would be his first choice," he said.

"Well, one can only assume that he saw me unfit," I said. "Or I just did not ask fast enough." I had gotten to the heart of the matter. Sauron had instructed Saruman to build him an army, but not after he saw the opportunity to seal his allegiance. Letting someone go on an ego trip was a good way to do that. Making someone feel important is the fastest way to get them on your side. The whole promise of power and half of Middle Earth probably didn't hurt either. At that moment, I saw my lord's plan as clear as day. He was politicking to get what he needed.

"I trust you will give him a full report," Saruman said, ushering me out of Orthanc.

"Oh yes, I won't leave out a single detail. I think you've really hit something. Lord Sauron will be most pleased," I couldn't help but have a little fun on my way out.

"Thank you," he said. "Feel free to come by and have a look anytime."

"I may just take you up on that," I said, mounting Angath. He didn't reply. I got halfway down the path and couldn't hold in my laughter any longer. He was a foolish old wizard, but he would prove useful. He had the means to produce thousands of his half breeds. They would never take the place of the orcs, though. The Uruk seemed barely able to produce words, much less any intelligent communication. Then again, Sauron wasn't looking for anything that had a brain. He wanted something that could kill effectively. Saruman's Uruks were the ones for the job. I was not about to send my orcs out to be killed. The world of men was strengthening, I could feel it. Just as there had been stirrings of the Ring, there were stirrings elsewhere. The lands to the West no longer felt dead. Something was coming.

I was riding through Gondor on my way back at the base of the White Mountains. On the other side of the road, a man was riding. He looked scruffy, like all men did. He was in battle gear and bore a shield. My curiosity got the better of me and I inquired about his destination.

"I have been summoned to a council," he said.

"A council? Would it not be held in Gondor?" I asked.

"It is not just a council of men, but a meeting of elves and dwarves as well," he replied.

"Must be quite important if elves and dwarves agree to come together," I said.

"I fear it is more than just quite important," he said.

"Where did you say this council was?" I questioned.

"Rivendell," he answered. The elves must have been up to something big if they were letting men into their realm. Elves were not especially fond of anything other than elves being in their presence.

"I've heard its beautiful there," I said.

"If it is anything like you, my lady, then I would say the same," he said. I smiled. It was not hard to see why men were weak.

"Thank you," I said. "Perhaps we shall meet again."

"Perhaps," he said. "I have not seen you around Minas Tirith."

"That would be because I do not live in Minas Tirith," I replied.

"Of course," he said.

"May your journey go well," I said.

"And yours," he said. We went in our separate directions. I had to ponder what the elves had in mind. As if letting men in was a step for them, most would rather face my dungeons than sit within ten feet of a dwarf. Something was most definitely afoot.

I told Sharuk and Lughak what I had learned on my return to Mordor. They were equally intrigued.

"What could it all mean?" Sharuk asked.

"Morgoth only knows. If the elves are calling upon men and dwarves, it has to be something important. I've dealt with elves long enough to know their quirks and this is going against everything I know of them," I said.

"What if it has something to do with the Ring?" Lughak asked. I hadn't thought of that.

"Would they even know where it is? We sent the Naz-gul off and haven't heard a word from them. How would they know it had been found unless," I stopped.

"Unless what?"

"Unless it was one of them who found it," I said. "There was a Rivendell elf in the Last Alliance. He would have seen it. He would know what it looked like and what it could do."

"D'you think 'e found it?" asked Sharuk.

"Maybe or maybe someone brought it to him. We won't know until we hear from the nine. Speaking of, have they sent a messenger?" I said.

"No word since we sent them out," Lughak said.

"It will come. If we are lucky, they'll reach the Shire and find the one who has it," I said.

"And if we ain't lucky?" Sharuk questioned.

"The Ring has yet again outsmarted the lot of us," I said. It was a daunting prospect, but one we all had to deal with. The game was on and it was their move.


	6. Meet the Fellowship

(A.N. I just noticed I didn't put a disclaimer in, but then again we all know who wrote Lord of the Rings. If you don't, congratulations on successfully living under a rock for the past 40 years or so. *grin* However, Azra is mine. You steal, I keel you. And now back to the action.)

"Azra! News from the nine!" Sharuk's yelling jolted me awake. I sat straight up in the throne.

"What news?" I asked eagerly.

"They have found the ones who have the Ring!" he said.

"That's fantastic news. I knew they could do it," I said.

"However, things have not gone quite as planned," he said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"They've found 'em, but they've been unable to capture 'em. The Witch King succeeded in wounding one of them, and some of the others chased down the elf that carried the wounded one," he reported.

"And?"

"And they got a bit caught up in the river outside Rivendell. They're on their way back as we speak," Sharuk said.

"Who has the Ring? Is it an elf?" I asked.

"Something called a Hobbit," he said.

"What's a Hobbit?"

"Very short, apparently," he replied. "Baggins was the name of a Hobbit." This called for some research.

"Thank you. I'll pass it on to Lord Sauron. He will surely want to see the Witch King when they return," I said.

"Very good," Sharuk said. I got up and went rooting through the library. There had to be some record of a thing called a Hobbit. I was interested to see what had control over the Ring. I found them to be horribly boring creatures. They were small, as Sharuk said, and lived only in the Shire. Personality wise, they were the least likely creatures to come across the Ring. Gollum had been like a Hobbit once and we all saw what the Ring did to him. It was too powerful for them. It was too powerful for most mortals. It was then I decided to take matters into my own hands.

Sauron had been gifted at the art of shapeshifting in his bodily form. He could fool just about anyone. That was how he had gotten control over the nine in the first place. Since the Naz-gul were quickly proving themselves to be too slow for my tastes, I thought I'd do a little spying of my own. First, I needed to learn how to do it. I consulted Sauron.

"The Ring is in Rivendell, my lord. The nine just sent word of it. They are on their way back," I said.

"Do they know who carries it?" he asked

"A Hobbit," I answered. "Also on my way back from Isengard, I met a man on the road. He said he was going to Rivendell for a council. I suspect word of the Ring has spread. We are no longer the only ones after it."

"No, my beauty, we have never been. The hearts of mortals will always desire its power. I created it that way," he said.

"And what of immortals, like the elves? They must at least feel some of it," I said.

"They do. After they defeated me, it was an elf who pushed Isildur to destroy the Ring. He failed, of course," he said.

"So the elves make everyone else do their dirty work," I said.

"Yes,"

"Typical of them. They can't stand to do much other than sit around a look pretty," I said. If Sauron had been more than just an eye, he would have smiled.

"You want to ask me something," he said.

"I wanted to know how you could shapeshift," I got right to the point.

"I knew you would ask about that someday," he said. "It is not difficult. Men are easy to fool."

"So how did you do it?"

"It is not so much changing how you look, but changing how they see you. If you have the aura of a friend, then they will trust you. If not, they will not. It is that simple," he said.

"How do I do that?" I asked.

"You got the man from Gondor to tell you where he was going, did you not?"

"Yes,"

"Then you have already begun. He did not see you as a threat so he did not see any reason to hide it from you," he said. "But men are always the easiest. Elves and dwarves are both suspicious. You will have to work harder to make them believe you." I nodded.

"I see," I said.

"No one who is alive today in the world of men has ever seen you. They do not know you are my servant. Your beauty will make them trust you," he said. "If you wish to seek them out, I will not stop you."

"Thank you," I said. I would not be so foolish as to march into Rivendell. They would know I was a stranger and immediately suspect me. Sauron had commissioned Saruman to keep an eye on this business as well. A wizard named Gandalf had come to him, asking for advice on the Ring. Gandalf was also bound for Rivendell. That made three, so far, that were there. The wizard, the man, and the wounded Hobbit and the elves and dwarves. One of them had the Ring and we were not about to let them keep it.

The nine returned to Barad-dur a few days later with their complete report. As expected, Sauron had a long discussion with the Witch King. As it turned out, there were four Hobbits and a man traveling together. The man was not the one I had seen, but a Ranger. A female elf had taken the wounded Hobbit to Rivendell and they assumed the other Hobbits and the man followed. The number of people headed to Rivendell was increasing at a disturbing rate. It started to feel like all of Middle Earth knew who had the Ring except us. I decided to bide my time and wait until something changed. Odds were this council would result in some kind of action.

I did not have to wait long. Soon word came from Saruman's spies that there was a party moving East from Rivendell. He was not terribly specific about how many there were or what they were, but it was a start. I was with Sauron when Saruman gave the news.

"They will head for the mountains. I will give Gandalf no choice but to pass into Moria," he said.

"But there's a..."I started. "Oh."

"It will take care of it for us and then the Ring will be reclaimed. Some of your orcs still roam there as well," he said.

"That's true," I agreed.

"They shall take care of it," Sauron said.

"I want to see this for myself," I said.

"Do you really feel that is necessary?" Saruman asked.

"I will follow them through Moria untouched. You just tell me when they are about to reach it," I said.

"Do as she asks," Sauron said. "I would like a pair of eyes where yours cannot reach."

"They will reach the doors to Moria in three days," he said.

"Then I will go now. I want to be waiting for them," I said. I gave neither time to reply. This party was of great interest to me. I felt confident enough in my shapeshifting abilities that if they did see me, I could get away with it. Once again, Angath and I were off on another adventure. It would take about four days to get through the mines, assuming my orcs didn't get to them first. If the orcs couldn't get them, the Balrog would. I had never actually seen a Balrog, but I was told it was one of Morgoth's more genius creations. The dwarves had mined too deep once and woken it up. Even the orcs feared it. In my opinion, waking anything up is a bad idea to begin with, much less a creation of Morgoth.

We reached the gates of Moria and I let Angath go. She would meet me on the other side in four days. I waited for the moon to hit the spot where the door was supposed to be. Sure enough, glowing words appeared before me. It was written in elvish.

"Elvish? What in the..." the elves hated the dwarves. Why the message above the door was written in elvish was far beyond me. Fortunately for me, I could piece together enough elvish to read it. I would worry about the reasons behind it later.

"Speak friend and enter," I read. It was a good thing no one was around. A servant of Sauron's speaking elvish was enough to get you killed. I racked my brain for the elvish word for friend. They never used that one around me much. I knew plenty of elvish insults.

"iMellon/I," I said. The door lurched open. I smiled. That was the luckiest guess of my life. Otherwise I would have been standing out there until the mysterious party arrived. I went in and pushed the door closed. Now to wait for them to come through. It was pitch dark and I had nothing on me that would make a suitable light. It didn't matter much, I was not terribly interested in what dwarves kept on their floors. It was standing in the dark in the mines of Moria when I truly began to question my sanity. I was surprised Sauron had let me go. But Sauron never let anything happen without a reason. There was some reason he had let me pursue this madness, even if I would never know it. So there I stood, silent as the dead, waiting for them.

I had drifted off to sleep when I heard voices. I leaned back into the shadows and waited. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but there were at least two voices. Then silence. I grew increasingly nervous as I waited for the door to swing open. Finally it did. The first one in was a wizard, then the man I had seen on the road to Mordor, then an elf, and a dwarf. Suddenly someone I couldn't see started yelling. The four already in the door turned around and the man ran back out, followed by the elf. I resisted every urge in me to look outside. I could only assume the inhabitant of the lake had gotten hungry. I took the opportunity when they were all looking out the door for me to get a better vantage point. I squeezed into a crevice by the stairs. They all ran inside just as the door collapsed. 

"Now we must face the long dark of Moria," the wizard said, putting a lit crystal on his staff. I watched as they walked passed me and counted nine. In addition to the four I had seen, there was another man and four small, humanlike beings. I assumed they were Hobbits and one of them had the Ring. This must have been the man who was with them when the nine encountered them at Weathertop. I was surprised there were still four. A wound from a Naz-gul's sword was fatal to most mortals. The elf looked familiar. I could not imagine why, but for some reason I thought I had seen him before. If I had seen him before that meant he had seen me. It also meant I'd have to keep a very low profile on our way through. He would surely remember me. I darted ahead of them and continued doing so until they stopped nearly a day and a half later. They were lost. Again, leave it to men not to ask for directions or consult a map. I took this opportunity to find out where my orcs had been hiding. They would probably still be there when I got back.

I climbed up to the higher levels and began to listen. Orcs were terribly loud when in the company of just themselves. I followed the sounds of banter and chatter until I came across a rather large den of them.

"Master," the lead orc, Borgob, said.

"I have some news of interest," I said. "There is a group of nine companions who just entered here not long ago. We believe they have the Ring."

"We ain't heard nuffin," one called.

"They have taken great pains to remain undetected. They fear the beast that waits at the bridge," I said. They shuttered.

"We should relieve them of that fear, shouldn't we?" I said. They cheered.

"Let's get 'em!"

"Kill 'em all!"

"Where are they?" Borgob asked.

"I left them at the two doors. It's almost directly down from here but it will take at least two hours to get back," I said.

"It won't take no time. We can move fast," another said.

"And we got us a nice new friend," one said.

"Oh?" I said. Three of them dragged out a cave troll.

"Well now, that certainly changes things," I said.

"Don't it though?" Borgob said. I smiled.

"They should be right where I left them," I said. "They were lost. Their leader, a wizard, could not remember the way."

"How long since you left 'em?"

"A few hours," I said.

"Then let's go. Ambush 'em," They cheered again.

"As you like it," I said. They got their weapons and the cave troll and we made our way back to the divergence. We were forced to take a longer route down as the troll was not much of a climber. When we arrived at the spot I had left them, we were disappointed. They were gone.

"Now what?"

"I know which way they took. Follow me and we should catch them in no time," I said, gathering up my robes. Then we heard a horrible crashing sound. It sounded like something had fallen down a shaft.

"That's in the tomb," Borgob said.

"Let's go," I said. We took off running to face the Fellowship for the first time.


	7. Through the Mines

(A.N. Many thanks to Orcish Nations for the Black Speech translations. They'll pop up every now and again.)

My orcs were ready to take on the nine members of the Fellowship. I stayed with them up until they almost reached the door to the tomb. Then I took a detour up to find the rest of the orcs. I knew there had to be hundreds roaming around in the mines. I wanted those nine dead and if the band I had already sent couldn't do it, we would need to overwhelm them. I didn't think we'd need to wake up the Balrog, assuming he hadn't done it himself.

I walked through the mines, collecting a trail of orcs behind me. It must have been an interesting sight, me in my blood red robes followed by hundreds of orcs. For the first time, I got to lead my army. It felt good to be in charge. I actually smiled to myself as we walked. It was the smile of a woman about to do something very naughty. We bypassed the tomb below and I they began to take up places of entry in the main chamber. The room was cavernous with plenty of points of entry, but only one way out. The Bridge lay out the door I where I would be standing. It was the only way out of Moria and they would have to pass through me to get there. I stationed myself just inside the door and waited. Surely by now they were either dead or about to come charging in. No sooner had I thought that did I see a light out of the corner of my eye. Somehow they had beaten the cave troll and made it out again. We would soon fix that. I stepped out from my hiding place.

"Prauta! Prauta!" I yelled. The Fellowship skidded to a stop, first looking at me, then the orcs that came streaming out like water. This time we would take care of it. They drew their weapons, as if they had a chance of winning. I shook my head in disbelief. This was incredible. I would have expected a group being led by a wizard to know better. I waited for the pounce, but it never came. What did come was a horrible rumbling. The ground shook under our feet. I looked up to see the orcs scattering. That meant one thing. The Balrog was awake.

I may be immortal, but I'm not stupid. I was not about to stay there and see what entailed a Balrog attack. I was out the door and down the stairs while they stood dumb. Frankly, if they were dumb enough to stand there, they deserved what was coming to them. I had made it to the bottom of the stairs when I saw them come crashing in. That's when the stairs crumbled and they were forced to jump. I watched as they each in turn leapt from one side to the other. The dark man and one of the Hobbits were the last to jump. I was hoping they'd miss, but sorely disappointed. It looked as if they would make it out of Moria alive. I was lamenting this fact mentally as I crossed the bridge. It had yet to give out. Some dwarf construction was halfway decent. The Balrog was catching up. I climbed up to a decent vantage point and got my first look at a Balrog. It wasn't that terrifying. It was imposing, probably fifteen or twenty feet tall, with horns like a bull. It stood on two legs and wielded a fiery whip. Eight members made it across the bridge, but the wizard stopped. He was going to fight it.

"Brave, but stupid," I said to myself. The Balrog was not pleased that he had been stopped. Obviously the wizard had some kind of counter magic that held it at bay. The bridge opened up under the Balrog and down it fell. It looked like they had won out again. I groaned, convinced we were never going to get anywhere. Then, suddenly, the wizard fell. One of the Hobbits started yelling and trying to get to him and the Gondorian man held him back. The wizard disappeared into the chasm. I had to keep myself quiet, but I wanted to cheer. With their leader gone, they would be far easier to penetrate. I decided to keep following them, even though I had promised not to. I had to find out who had the Ring. I met Angath outside. She was waiting patiently.

"Our journey isn't over yet, kranklub," I said, patting her. She tossed her head and snorted. I mounted her and waited for the eight to emerge. Now would be my time to test my shapeshifting skills. Angath and I rode just over the ridge where we could remain unseen. I knew Lothlorien lay not too far from our current position. Since there was an elf in the Fellowship, perhaps they would venture there. If not, I could convince them. I rode up over the ridge. They were on their way down.

"Are you the party that set out from Rivendell?" I asked.

"We are," the dark man said.

"Then you are to come with me," I said. "I ride from Lothlorien."

"Then we shall follow," he said. I turned Angath around and we headed to the third realm of the elves. I had never spent much time there. It was a fair distance to travel and what with Mirkwood on our doorstep, there was little need. The elf kept looking at me strangely. I was hoping he didn't see through me.

"What is your name?" he finally asked. I froze. I had no idea what to say, so I blurted out the first name that came to mind.

"Authaenil," I said. It was the name of an elf I had turned long ago. The only reason I remembered her name was she had begged me not to change her. She was the only one who ever had. It still moved me, now that I remembered. Her eyes nearly broke what little heart I had left. I quickly pushed her from my mind.

"And what is yours?" I asked.

"Legolas," he said. "I come from Mirkwood." I nearly fell off Angath. That's where I had seen him before. He had been the one who I had forgone kidnapping on my very first trip. He would surely recognize me if I couldn't keep up my ruse. All the more reason to not let it drop.

"And who travels with you?" I asked.

"The Ranger is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. There is Boromir of Gondor; Gimli, son of Gloin; and the Hobbits. The one walking with Aragorn is called Frodo, and the little one is Peregrin," he said. _Thank you for being so brilliantly gullible,_ I thought.

"Why are you traveling so far and with such a group?" I asked.

"Have you not heard? The Ring of Sauron has been found," he said. I bit down on my tongue hard to keep from cheering. I could taste blood as I finally spoke.

"I have not heard, but I do not hear well these days," I said. Now to get him to tell me who had it. Which one I needed to kill first. Before I could speak, a bit of dust got in my nose and I sneezed.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Nothing," I said, wiping my nose.

"You sneezed," he said.

"Did I?" I said. He stopped and gave me a hugely suspicious look. Then something clicked in that little elvish brain of his. Elves never sneezed. Ever. Therefore, I was not what I said I was.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"I told you who I am," I said.

"Who are you really?" The rest of the Fellowship had stopped to watch this display. I was found out. No use in keeping it up anymore. I let them see me for what I really was.

"I am the keeper of Sauron's armies. My name is Azra and you will not soon be rid of me," Angath gave an impressive rear and we galloped off back in the direction of Mordor. 

"What was that all about?" Merry asked.

"That was Azra, the witch of Mordor," Legolas said. "I used to think she was a myth."

"And now?" Pippin asked as they started walking.

"Obviously she is real. There are quite a few stories about her among my kind. I saw her myself once, about two thousand years ago. She looked me in the eyes and then rode off with two of my cousins in her grasp. She takes elves and turns them into orcs. No one knows exactly how. She roams mostly in Mirkwood because it is so close to Mordor. The story goes Sauron saw her when he first started the war and fell in love with her. He made her the master of his orcs and gave her the gift of eternal life. She is said to be the most beautiful woman in the world and that is what helps her capture her prey. They trust her because of her beauty. Apparently she has somehow learned to shapeshift," he said.

"Which is why we followed her in the first place," Aragorn said, looking back in my direction. "Does she know who has the Ring?"

"No, I realized who she was before I said anything. She knows our names, that is all," Legolas said.

"That could be dangerous enough," Boromir said.

"We shall see," said Aragorn. "We shall see."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Translation Corner:

Prauta-Ambush

Kranklub-Sister 


	8. Lady of Light

(A.N. I'm back at school, so the updates are going to be few and far between for a while. So, enjoy...)

Angath and I rode away from the Fellowship, but regrettably not fast enough. We were running in and out of the borders of Lothlorien. Surely by now they would have alerted the elves that we were in the area. We nearly slammed into an elf that came bursting out of the trees. I pulled Angath up and she snorted and pranced unhappily as they surrounded us. Sixteen of their bows against my sword were not good odds.

"Come with us peacefully and we will not kill you," one said. I supposed he was their leader.

"Fine," I said, getting off Angath. I surrendered my sword and we started walking. Lothlorien was far different than Mirkwood. It seemed lighter and more open. I had only been near it once and that was many years ago. Of the three kinds of elves, I knew the least about the ones in Lothlorien.

"So you are the witch of Mordor. The one they say traps with her beauty. The beloved servant of the dark lord," the leader said.

"The fact that your kind is gullible does not hurt, elf," I snapped.

"A tongue like that could get you killed," he said.

"This tongue is the only thing that has kept me alive," I retorted. We walked more in silence. I was beginning to wonder just when it would end. We went farther into the heart of the forest and it got darker. The canopies were thick and blocked out a great deal of light. I looked up and saw elves gliding in the trees like they belonged there. I did not see the Fellowship anywhere. I did not especially want to see them, either.

The elf leader took me up a winding stair to the upper canopies of the trees. I took little comfort in the fact they could not kill me. There were far worse things than death in this world. As the principal purveyor of that sort of thing, I knew better.

"Wait here," he said. I stood before an intricate archway as he left. I could try and escape, but that wouldn't do me much good. They would just catch me again. I could not fight my way out. That elf had taken my sword and I was no good at hand to hand. I had no choice but to stand there. I fidgeted a little and tried not to chew on the inside of my lip. I had scars on the insides of my mouth from that habit.

"Welcome, Azra," a soft female voice said. I jumped and looked around. At the top of the archway stood an elf woman. She smiled at me. I couldn't remember ever being speechless around an elf before. She was stunningly beautiful. I bowed my head.

"How do you know my name?" I asked.

"I have watched you. I have seen you in my mind," she said.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Galadriel," she said. "I know you do not know me." I shook my head.

"Most of the elves don't give me their names," I said.

"You are a brave girl and you are old," she said. "You have seen much."

"As have you," I said. Her eyes were deep and the only thing that betrayed her age. I had a feeling she thought the same when she looked at me. We were two old souls in a world that begged us for guidance. We just happened to be on different sides.

"So why am I still here?" I asked.

"You followed a Fellowship through Moria and into here. They have what you need," she said.

"Yes," I said.

"But you know you will not get it back, not this time," she said.

"Yes," I said again.

"Do you know what will happen if you do get it back?" she said.

"It is what I have been hoping for since the day it was lost. Shadow is not so terrible when it is all you know," I replied.

"But you do not know only shadow. You knew light once," said Galadriel.

"I did. It has long since faded from me and I do not miss it," I said.

"I know," she said. "Go from here and return to your lord."

"Should I speak of you?" I asked.

"He would not believe you and you know it. Your lord knows my name. He gave me this," she pulled up her sleeve. On the middle finger of her right hand was a ring. It was Nenya, one of the original nineteen rings. As far as I knew, it was still good. The One had yet to touch it.

"Your horse waits for you at borders of our land and we will return your sword. Go from here quickly and you will remain unharmed," she said. I picked up my head and walked back down from the canopy. The elf who had led me there was waiting. He handed me my sword.

"Take the path through to the eastern borders," he said. 

"I can find my own way out," I said. He didn't reply. I sheathed my sword and started my walk out. None of the last hour had made any sense. Why was this elf queen interested in me? Why hadn't they shot me on sight? Maybe they knew I couldn't die. Maybe they wanted me to tell them something. I had told them something, but nothing they already knew. Or perhaps this Galadriel wanted to meet the butcher of her people on her own ground. All I really knew for sure is she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. My eyes had only seen ugliness for so long, it was like beauty was magnified. It was all part of the balance. There is no light without darkness. There is no beauty without ugliness. There is no good without evil. She was the only thing in all of Middle Earth that had made me doubt my own beauty. I would ponder it all the way back to Barad-dur.


	9. Seduction of Power

(A.N. This is a dull chapter really, but necessary. Sad, I know. It'll get better. Thanks so much to my reviewers. Your input is greatly appreciated.)

Nothing made much sense after my encounter with Galadriel. My world had somehow changed. It took me days to even reorient myself in the tower that I could walk through blindfolded. My lord noticed it first. He always did.

"Azra, why do you wander?" he asked.

"I am not lost, if that is what you mean," I said.

"No, your mind," he said.

"I have had much to think about. The Ring is almost ours again. We can track them, kill them and get it back," I said. "Then you will be restored to power."

"You saw something you have never seen before when you followed them. Something you didn't expect," he said.

"Yes," I replied softly.

"It causes you pain, but you do not suffer," said Sauron.

"Yes," I said again. There was no point in lying. He knew me too well. He knew my thoughts even better.

"Push it from you as you did your mercy. There was a time when you could not dream of harming an elf," he said.

"That was a long time ago," I said.

"Yes, it was,"

"Then I shall do so. Do you require anything else?" I asked.

"No, nothing that you have not already done," he said. I walked up to my room, leaving the glowing eye watching me. He knew exactly what had happened, but he wouldn't speak of it. I would never know why. That was part of life with him. Sauron was his own master. Even those he called allies never knew his true purpose.

Sauron told Saruman about the Fellowship and all I had learned. It was Saruman's turn to prove the worth of his Uruk-hai. I was deciding on whether or not to go with them. It would be a long journey even to catch up with the party. Angath was still recovering from our last trip. It was in my best interest to stay in Mordor. I had done enough. Everything seemed to be falling into place on its own. Then again, things aren't always what they seem.

I spent more time in my room than I had before. I was slowly regaining my old sense of self. There I read the histories we had collected over the centuries. Most had once been true, but had degenerated into myths and legends. My name was mentioned in passing a few times, but mostly because the authors were unsure I was real. That fact alone meant I had been doing my job right. As I was reading, Baghrat came in.

"Word from Saruman. They have nearly caught the party," he said. I looked up.

"Nearly?" I repeated.

"They have a little farther yet to travel," he said.

"And what will they do once they catch them?" I asked.

"Their orders were to return the halflings and kill the rest," he replied.

"Very well then," I said, going back to my book.

"Why do they want the Ring?" asked Baghrat. It was the first time I'd ever heard an orc wonder such a thing.

"It holds a great power. The only one who can wield it is Sauron himself. Men just think they can. There is little in this world more seductive than power. Sauron retains my services to keep his power. I am the means to the end," I said. "Sauron poured his very life force into that Ring. It answers only to him."

"And what if someone else was to put it on?" he asked..

"The Naz-gul would find it rather quickly. They are tied to it as well. We all are. I feel its power daily, but it is not up to me to get it back," I replied.

"You create a means to get it back," he said.

"In a way," I said. He bowed out of the room and left me to my reading. I closed the book and looked out the window. I was letting my mind wander when a powerful jolt shot through me. My right hand burned and heat radiated up and down my arm, into my chest. Someone had put on the Ring. The Uruks would surely find them now. I caught my breath and smiled.

_Yes, _I thought, _Isn't it just too much to bear..._


	10. Replaced

            (A.N. I have returned. My first year of college is over and I have until August off.  Hopefully, I'll update more regularly.  Enjoy the latest.)

It didn't take long for word to travel to us.  The Uruks had caught up with the party at Amon Hen.  That was the good news.  The bad news was, they only caught two of the halflings.

            "What?  There were four!" I snapped when I got the news.

            "They said they only found two," Baghrat said.  I picked up the nearest thing and threw it.  He ducked.

            "That means they've got a fifty percent chance that they found the one that carries it," I couldn't believe the utter stupidity of Saruman's creatures.

            "Maybe they got the right one," he suggested.

            "I wouldn't bet on it.  Those things have all the brains of rocks.  They wouldn't have thought to search the area.  The others were probably hiding and one of them probably has the Ring," I said.  I paced angrily around the room for a good five minutes not saying anything.  Baghrat just stood there, waiting for instruction.

            "Find out where they are," I said.

            "Yes, my lady," he said and left.  I couldn't believe what they'd done.  Now our great hope had been dashed again.  It was beginning to take a toll on my nerves.  All of these near misses.  I was half tempted to go out and hunt down the Hobbit on my own.  Sauron would never allow it and the odds I actually found him were slim.  Instead, I settled for pouting some more.  I think the last time I had a good pout was sometime early in the Second Age.

            "They're in Rohan," Baghrat's voice jerked me back to reality.  "The ones with the Hobbits are nearing Fangorn.  Other bands are sacking and burning the Westfold.  Saruman has taken a great interest in the fall of Rohan.  He's possessed the king, or so I was informed."

            "What does he want with Rohan?  Men are weak, why not just let them be?" I asked.  He shrugged.

            "Okay, yes, if we kill the entire race of men then we have no competition.  The elves have been leaving for…wherever…for centuries.  They offer the last threat," I said, thinking out loud.

            "As you said, my lady, they are weak," he said.  I thought about it for a moment.

            "The weak can be made strong if united under a leader.  Someone they would all pledge their allegiance to, but men are distrusting.  Such a leader would have to be someone powerful.  Do they have anyone with such power?"  At this point, I had stopped talking to Baghrat completely.  I was absorbed in my own thoughts.  This called for some research.

            "I'm going to the study.  If you hear anything else, come get me," I said.  He nodded.  I rooted through everything I could find.  I read about kings, stewards, heirs, and anything else that looked like it might provide some insight.  As I was flipping through what felt like the hundredth book, I came across something.

            "Aragorn?" That name triggered something in my mind.  Then it hit me.  The ranger traveling with the party had been named Aragorn.  I ran down to the throne room and pulled the cloth off the palantir.

            "I have discovered something, my lord," I said quickly.

            "What have you discovered?" he asked.

            "The man, the ranger with the party from Rivendell, his name is Aragorn," I said.  That seemed to get his attention.

            "Aragorn, son of Arathorn?"

            "Yes," I said.  "He's the sole heir of Numenor."

            "I am aware of that fact.  And you say he was with the ones who carry the Ring?" he asked.

            "But the party splintered at Amon Hen, thanks in no small part to Saruman's oafish Uruk Hai.  There is no way of knowing where he is now," I said.

            "We shall worry about that soon enough.  Let me take care of it," he said.  I was insulted.  I had gone to all this trouble to figure out who we needed to kill and he was brushing me off.

            "As you wish," I said.

            "Azra," he said, as I was leaving.

            "Yes, my lord?"

            "Your time will come," I had no idea what that meant.  As if I hadn't done enough for him.  I had slaved to create the greatest army in Middle Earth for three and a half millennia.  I had been his loyal servant for an equally long period.  It was irritating to be pushed to the back.  Saruman appeared to have taken my place.  I cursed him and his Uruks as I walked back to the study.

            "You don't look happy," Baghrat said.

            "I'm not," I replied shortly.  "I've been replaced."


End file.
